1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a battery storage structure for a portable electronic device which is capable of holding a battery within a storage chamber securely even if the portable electronic device undergoes undesirable physical impact.
2. Background of Related Art
Japanese Utility Model First Publication No. 4-102560 teaches a battery storage structure of a portable electronic device. The battery storage structure consists of a storage chamber formed in a casing of the portable electronic device and a storage chamber cover. The storage chamber cover is designed to be slidably removable from the casing and held by a locking member. The locking member consists of an elastic claw which is installed in an outer peripheral portion of the storage chamber and which engages a recess formed in an edge of the storage chamber cover.
The above battery storage structure, however, encounters the drawback that the locking member is made of a small resinous mold and may be dislodged from the casing or broken when the electronic device is dropped to the ground.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved battery storage apparatus capable of holding a battery within a storage chamber formed in a casing of, for example, a portable electronic device even if the portable electronic device undergoes strong physical impact.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a battery storage apparatus for an electronic device which comprises: (a) a battery storage chamber formed in a casing of the electronic device, the battery storage chamber having an opening for loading and unloading a battery; (b) a storage chamber cover for covering the opening of the battery storage chamber; (c) a guide groove formed in one of the casing of the electronic device and the storage chamber cover; (d) a guide rail formed on the other of the casing of the electronic device and the storage chamber cover, the guide rail engaging the guide groove to define a travel path on which the storage chamber cover slides when the storage chamber cover is installed or removed on and from the casing of the electronic device; and (e) an engagement holding means for holding engagement of the guide rail with the guide groove when the storage chamber cover slides on the travel path and is installed on the casing of the electronic device, the engagement holding means being provided on the travel path of the storage chamber cover.
In the preferred mode of the invention, the engagement holding means includes a recess and a protrusion fitted into the recess to restrict movement of the storage chamber cover on the guide rail when the storage chamber cover is installed on the casing the electronic device completely. The recess is formed on one of the guide groove and the guide rail. The protrusion is formed in the other of the guide groove and the guide rail.
A first and a second protrusion are further provided. The first protrusion is formed on the guide rail. The second protrusion is formed on the guide groove so that the second protrusion is moved over the first protrusion during sliding of the storage chamber cover on the travel path and located at a given interval away from the first protrusion when the storage chamber cover is installed on the casing of the electronic device completely.